Traditional Guacamole Recipe

The best guacamole is made table-side with fresh simple ingredients. No matter where I indulge in it, guacamole has a funny way of transporting me to a table of my girlfriends slinging back margaritas and watching the waiter mash together avocados, herbs and aromatics and presenting us with a purple- and red-studded green dip. It’s not Ladies Night without fresh guacamole paired with overly-salted tortilla chips and the wince of limey margaritas.

I’ve watched these table-side preparations at many Mexican restaurants but I really hold the recipe of my former Mexican neighbors to heart. They also introduced me to Elote, a grilled Mexican street corn way before you ever saw it at a little New England Mexican restaurant. It became one of my favorite foods and I still order it whenever I see it.

Key Guacamole Ingredients

• Avocados
• Fresh Salsa
• Lime juice
• Garlic
• Red onion
• Fresh Cilantro
• Jalapeno

The matriarch of the family, Mary, always held a kind smile on her face and her kitchen was always filled with perfectly ripened fruit. Her ability in the kitchen was impressive from the moment I saw how she turned such a small space into an oregano-clove scented heaven filled aloe-green plants and a decorative cage of white-feathered always-chirping cockatiels.

She cooked fast and used simple ingredients. Her house was always filled with people and I never quite knew who lived there and who didn’t but it never quite mattered. Everyone was always eating, welcoming and excited to show off some of their favorite foods to their all-American neighbors.

Mary’s guacamole was traditional and easy. I was about 14 years old when I lived next to her  and the avocado craze was about to his the USA. Avocados weren’t something I really noticed in my hometown Connecticut grocery store but they were plentiful in Mary’s kitchen. My eyes almost fell out of my head when she slide her knife and rotated the avocado, opening it to reveal a large seed which she quickly drove a knife blade into and popped out, tossing it in the garbage in one experience-filled motion.

Her recipe is the only one I’ve ever made because it’s the only one I’ve ever needed to make. It’s a hit every time whether it’s just me or crowd.

Yield: appetizer for 4-5 people

Guacamole Recipe

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Fresh squeezed lime juice, minced onion and fresh cilantro are mashed with ripe avocados to create this creamy, zesty Guacamole. Best paired with a classic Margarita and salty tortilla chips.

Prep Time 8 minutes

Total Time 8 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 avocados, peeled, halved and seeded
• 2 tbsp prepared fresh salsa or pico de gallo
• 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (1/2 tsp if not Kosher)
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped with seeds and ribs removed (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl add all ingredients.
2. Lightly mash to combine with a fork, add additional salt and pepper if needed.
3. Serve with fresh or store bought tortilla chips or served alongside a main dish.

Notes

Best served with a Classic Margarita and alongside other Mexican and Latin American dishes.

Once I make a batch I use this guacamole on everything. For breakfast, I’ve added a scoop on top of omelets, as an layer in Eggs Benedict, or spread on toasted sourdough. I love adding it to sandwiches, rice bowls, burgers and sauteed fresh fish filets with a squeeze of lime.

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes

• Baja Fish Tacos
• Lime Crema
• Classic Margarita

Check out more recipes to find what you’re craving.